Charles River Laboratories International, Inc. · CRL · FY2025 Q4 · Calendar Q1 2026
CRL: DSA recovery supports outlook, with execution risks
The quarter supports a cautiously constructive operating thesis: improving DSA demand and efficiency initiatives may underpin earnings and margin progress, but the revenue recovery and benefits from acquisitions still require execution.
Earnings scorecard
Reported versus consensusMarket reaction
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What changed
Compared with the prior quarter, management emphasized stronger DSA demand, completed one acquisition, advanced another, and continued cost-savings execution. The company also shifted from a prior-quarter focus on divestitures toward integrating acquisitions and expanding NAMS capabilities.
Guidance delta
Management raised its outlook relative to the prior quarter, pairing a cautious revenue view with expected earnings and margin improvement.
Key takeaways
- DSA demand improved, with bookings and book-to-bill pointing to a potential recovery later in the year.
- Management is using acquisitions, cost savings, and lower sourcing costs to support margins.
- The outlook remains cautious on revenue while calling for earnings and operating-margin improvement.
- RMS and manufacturing remain important offsets to the DSA recovery case.
Management priorities
- Complete and integrate the announced acquisitions.
- Expand DSA, NAMS, sequencing, and AI-enabled service capabilities.
- Capture cost savings and improve NHP sourcing economics.
- Maintain disciplined capital allocation while supporting capacity for expected demand.
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Analyst 52W Price Targets
Latest persisted target per named analyst; persisted current price from FN2's market snapshot as of Oct 1, 2026. Not an FN2 forecast.
Firm-level rating actions
FMP grade actions identify the grading firm, not a named analyst.
| Firm | Rating | Prior rating | Action | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jefferies | Buy | Buy | Maintain | Sep 28, 2026 |
| TD Cowen | Buy | Buy | Maintain | Sep 25, 2026 |
| RBC Capital | Outperform | Outperform | Maintain | Sep 25, 2026 |
| Mizuho | Neutral | Neutral | Maintain | Sep 25, 2026 |
| Evercore ISI Group | Outperform | Outperform | Maintain | Sep 25, 2026 |
| Deutsche Bank | Buy | Buy | Maintain | Sep 25, 2026 |
| Barclays | Overweight | Overweight | Maintain | Sep 25, 2026 |
| Baird | Outperform | Outperform | Maintain | Sep 25, 2026 |
| Morgan Stanley | Overweight | Overweight | Maintain | Aug 7, 2026 |
| JP Morgan | Overweight | Neutral | Upgrade | Aug 6, 2026 |
| CLSA | Hold | Outperform | Downgrade | Jul 20, 2026 |
| UBS | Neutral | Neutral | Maintain | Feb 25, 2026 |
| Citigroup | Buy | Buy | Maintain | Jan 16, 2026 |
| William Blair | Outperform | Market Perform | Upgrade | Oct 6, 2025 |
| Redburn Atlantic | Buy | Neutral | Upgrade | May 23, 2025 |
| Goldman Sachs | Neutral | Buy | Downgrade | Mar 21, 2025 |
| B of A Securities | Neutral | Neutral | Maintain | Dec 13, 2024 |
| Argus Research | Hold | Buy | Downgrade | Jun 28, 2024 |
| Guggenheim | Neutral | Buy | Downgrade | Feb 15, 2024 |
| Wells Fargo | Overweight | Overweight | Maintain | Sep 22, 2023 |
| Credit Suisse | Outperform | Outperform | Maintain | May 12, 2023 |
| Keybanc | Overweight | Overweight | Maintain | May 5, 2022 |
| Stephens & Co. | Overweight | Overweight | Maintain | Apr 7, 2022 |
| Truist Securities | Buy | Buy | Maintain | May 25, 2021 |
| SunTrust Robinson Humphrey | Buy | Buy | Maintain | May 8, 2020 |
| Wolfe Research | Outperform | Peer Perform | Upgrade | Feb 18, 2020 |
| CFRA | Strong Buy | Strong Buy | Maintain | Feb 11, 2020 |
| Bank of America | Neutral | Buy | Downgrade | Oct 18, 2019 |
| Raymond James | Outperform | Outperform | Maintain | Nov 8, 2018 |
| Argus | Buy | Buy | Maintain | Aug 27, 2018 |
| Mitsubishi UFJ | Neutral | Neutral | Maintain | Apr 20, 2018 |
| Gabelli & Co. | Buy | Buy | Maintain | Apr 26, 2016 |
| Edward Jones | Buy | Neutral | Upgrade | May 4, 2015 |
| Cantor Fitzgerald | Buy | Buy | Maintain | Oct 1, 2013 |
| Sterne Agee | Buy | Buy | Maintain | Jun 11, 2013 |
| ISI Group | Neutral | Neutral | Maintain | Feb 20, 2013 |
Named analyst price targets
Upside is calculated against the persisted current price $286.83. FMP does not supply a rating on these named-analyst rows.
| Firm | Analyst | 52W target | Price when posted | Upside | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UBS | Kevin Caliendo | $357 | $295.96 | +24.5% | Sep 30, 2026 |
| Jefferies | David Windley | $340 | $292.84 | +18.5% | Sep 28, 2026 |
| Deutsche Bank | Justin Bowers | $320 | $291.16 | +11.6% | Sep 25, 2026 |
| RBC Capital | Analyst unavailable | $322 | $291.11 | +12.3% | Sep 25, 2026 |
| Evercore ISI | Analyst unavailable | $330 | $294.44 | +15.1% | Sep 25, 2026 |
| Robert W. Baird | Analyst unavailable | $334 | $294.44 | +16.4% | Sep 25, 2026 |
| Mizuho Securities | Ann Hynes | $295 | $294.44 | +2.8% | Sep 25, 2026 |
| Barclays | Analyst unavailable | $330 | $294.44 | +15.1% | Sep 25, 2026 |
| Argus Research | Analyst unavailable | $330 | $279.4 | +15.1% | Sep 17, 2026 |
| Evercore ISI | Analyst unavailable | $320 | $277.18 | +11.6% | Sep 11, 2026 |
| Piper Sandler | Analyst unavailable | $300 | $269.64 | +4.6% | Aug 10, 2026 |
| Mizuho Securities | Analyst unavailable | $264 | $267.49 | -8.0% | Aug 10, 2026 |
| Morgan Stanley | Analyst unavailable | $300 | $264.05 | +4.6% | Aug 7, 2026 |
| Robert W. Baird | Analyst unavailable | $291 | $258.92 | +1.5% | Aug 6, 2026 |
| RBC Capital | Analyst unavailable | $282 | $260.72 | -1.7% | Aug 6, 2026 |
| Barclays | Analyst unavailable | $300 | $260.72 | +4.6% | Aug 5, 2026 |
| Mizuho Securities | Analyst unavailable | $230 | $233.41 | -19.8% | Jul 13, 2026 |
| Morgan Stanley | Analyst unavailable | $260 | $223.96 | -9.4% | Jul 9, 2026 |
| Bernstein | Analyst unavailable | $250 | $226.79 | -12.8% | Jul 1, 2026 |
| Morgan Stanley | Analyst unavailable | $220 | $184.79 | -23.3% | Jun 17, 2026 |
| CLSA | Analyst unavailable | $219 | $181.34 | -23.6% | May 29, 2026 |
| Robert W. Baird | Eric Coldwell | $213 | $175.56 | -25.7% | May 8, 2026 |
| Evercore ISI | Analyst unavailable | $220 | $176.32 | -23.3% | May 8, 2026 |
| Mizuho Securities | Analyst unavailable | $192 | $181.68 | -33.1% | May 8, 2026 |
| Barclays | Luke Sergott | $220 | $181.68 | -23.3% | May 8, 2026 |
| Barclays | Luke Sergott | $210 | $178.34 | -26.8% | Apr 14, 2026 |
| RBC Capital | Analyst unavailable | $215 | $178.34 | -25.0% | Apr 14, 2026 |
| Mizuho Securities | Analyst unavailable | $175 | $164.24 | -39.0% | Feb 20, 2026 |
| Robert W. Baird | Eric Coldwell | $193 | $158.18 | -32.7% | Feb 19, 2026 |
| Barclays | Luke Sergott | $200 | $158 | -30.3% | Feb 19, 2026 |
| Robert W. Baird | Analyst unavailable | $231 | $221.69 | -19.5% | Jan 13, 2026 |
| Evercore ISI | Analyst unavailable | $260 | $225.11 | -9.4% | Jan 13, 2026 |
| Robert W. Baird | Eric Coldwell | $224 | $219.49 | -21.9% | Jan 9, 2026 |
| Mizuho Securities | Ann Hynes | $215 | $215.51 | -25.0% | Jan 9, 2026 |
| Mizuho Securities | Analyst unavailable | $200 | $195.98 | -30.3% | Dec 18, 2025 |
| Barclays | Analyst unavailable | $215 | $192.97 | -25.0% | Dec 15, 2025 |
| Morgan Stanley | Kallum Titchmarsh | $185 | $176.09 | -35.5% | Dec 1, 2025 |
| Argus Research | Analyst unavailable | $200 | $166.73 | -30.3% | Nov 17, 2025 |
| Mizuho Securities | Ann Hynes | $174 | $174.95 | -39.3% | Oct 17, 2025 |
| Evercore ISI | Elizabeth Anderson | $200 | $181.18 | -30.3% | Oct 3, 2025 |
| Barclays | Luke Sergott | $195 | $170.48 | -32.0% | Oct 2, 2025 |
| Jefferies | Analyst unavailable | $195 | $157.38 | -32.0% | Sep 9, 2025 |
| Barclays | Luke Sergott | $205 | $193.14 | -28.5% | Oct 15, 2024 |
| Redburn Partners | Jamie Clark | $151 | $192.97 | -47.4% | Oct 14, 2024 |
| Mizuho Securities | Ann Hynes | $210 | $206.44 | -26.8% | Sep 17, 2024 |
| Deutsche Bank | Justin Bowers | $240 | $200.34 | -16.3% | Aug 8, 2024 |
| Robert W. Baird | Eric Coldwell | $239 | $201.85 | -16.7% | Jul 10, 2024 |
| Barclays | Luke Sergott | $230 | $207.35 | -19.8% | Jun 28, 2024 |
| Goldman Sachs | Matthew Sykes | $290 | $216.12 | +1.1% | Jun 6, 2024 |
| Evercore ISI | Elizabeth Anderson | $265 | $230.09 | -7.6% | May 9, 2024 |
| Evercore ISI | Elizabeth Anderson | $300 | $270.95 | +4.6% | Apr 1, 2024 |
| KeyBanc | Donald Hooker | $300 | $257.51 | +4.6% | May 5, 2022 |
| Wells Fargo | Analyst unavailable | $325 | $257.75 | +13.3% | Apr 25, 2022 |
| Jefferies | David Windley | $280 | $273.03 | -2.4% | Apr 25, 2022 |
| Jefferies | David Windley | $464 | $357.95 | +61.8% | Jan 11, 2022 |
| Argus Research | David Toung | $440 | $377.51 | +53.4% | Nov 24, 2021 |
| Cowen & Co. | Daniel Brennan | $465 | $417.45 | +62.1% | Aug 17, 2021 |
| Credit Suisse | Katie Tryhane | $385 | $416.31 | +34.2% | Aug 4, 2021 |
| J.P. Morgan | Tycho Peterson | $390 | $337.99 | +36.0% | May 28, 2021 |
| Guggenheim | Sandy Draper | $369 | $329.52 | +28.6% | May 25, 2021 |
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Start freeCompany context
Snapshot as of publicationCharles River Laboratories International, Inc. operates as a contract research organization (CRO), providing essential preclinical services to the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries. Its core business revolves around assisting clients with drug discovery, non-clinical development, and thorough safety testing, with its services extending globally across the United States, Europe, Canada, and the Asia Pacific region. The company organizes its diverse offerings into three principal segments: Research Models and Services (RMS), Discovery and Safety Assessment (DSA), and Manufacturing Solutions. 1. Research Models and Services (RMS): This division is a key supplier of high-quality rodent research models, including specially bred strains of rats and mice for experimental purposes. It also offers a comprehensive array of support services to help clients effectively utilize these models in their research and for the screening of potential non-clinical drug candidates.…
Historical context
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Sources
- Earnings call transcript and parsed analysis · 2026-05-11T10:29:34.698584+00:00
- FN2 earnings calendar · 2026-07-26T00:36:15.940040+00:00
- Polygon adjusted daily market bars · 2026-10-01T20:26:12.054095+00:00
- Financial Modeling Prep analyst price-target consensus and quote snapshot · 2026-10-01T20:26:12.051202+00:00
Methodology
Reported and consensus figures come from FN2's earnings event records. Market reaction and volume are calculated from daily adjusted bars around the event; abnormal move subtracts the SPY move over the same window.
Analyst target low, average, and high values are derived at request time from each named analyst's latest persisted FMP target. The current-price marker comes from FN2's persisted market snapshot. They are sell-side estimates, not an FN2 valuation or recommendation.
Transcript intelligence is a structured synthesis of the current and prior earnings-call analyses. Missing values stay missing and are never estimated.
By FN2 Research · Updated · As of 2026-10-01. For educational purposes only; not investment advice.